Giants load up on defense

After free-agent splurge, N.Y. adds cornerback Apple from Ohio State

Associated Press

Updated 12:22 am, Friday, April 29, 2016

Photo: Jon Durr

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CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: (L-R) Eli Apple of Ohio State holds up a jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #10 overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 609385781 less

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: (L-R) Eli Apple of Ohio State holds up a jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #10 overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at ... more

After signing four potential defensive starters in free agency, the Giants added a piece to the secondary, taking Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple with the 10th pick overall in the draft on Thursday night.

The addition gives the Giants three quality cornerbacks in a league where teams now use three receivers almost 60 percent of the time.

"He is a young, combative, physical guy," new coach Ben McAdoo said of 6-foot-1, 200-pound Apple. "He likes to tackle. He can make plays off the backside edge to the boundary. He is aggressive in the running game. It's hard to find guys that size, that young, who have his skill set."

The Giants didn't mind that Apple's interceptions went from three in 2014 to one in 2015.

"Sometimes the stats lie," said Marc Ross, the Giants vice president of player evaluation. "When you watch the film, there is stat production and real production. If you watch this guy, he can lock people down, where they don't even throw his way."

Jets: New York addressed its need for speed with a versatile, athletic playmaker. Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee was selected with the No. 20 overall pick, joining an already-imposing defense that finished fourth overall in the NFL last season. Lee had 12 sacks in two seasons with the Buckeyes as an aggressive and explosive outside linebacker, but Jets coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan characterized the 6-foot-2, 232-pounder as an inside linebacker who could play multiple spots on the defense. "What intrigued us the most about him from a scouting standpoint is he's a younger player who's very athletic," Maccagnan said of the 21-year-old Lee, who was a redshirt sophomore last season. "I think he brings the ability to potentially improve our overall team speed." That was cited by both Bowles and Maccagnan throughout the off-season as a key, and their selection of Lee addressed that need. "We felt he has ability to be a three-down player for us, on both running and passing downs," Maccagnan said. Lee became the fifth Ohio State player drafted in the first round this year, joining former teammates Joey Bosa (No. 3), Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4), Eli Apple (No. 10) and Taylor Decker (No. 16).

Bills: Buffalo addressed a significant pass-rushing need by selecting Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson with the 19th pick. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 269 pounds, Lawson was a consensus All-American last season in which he had 251/2 tackles for a loss and 121/2 sacks. Though relatively undersized for a defensive end, Lawson is regarded as a solid fit in an outside linebacker's role because of his athleticism and versatility. Lawson fills an immediate need on a defensive front seven that lost Mario Williams, who was cut last month.